More in Coverage & Interference

First responders in the United Kingdom (UK) are slated to complete the communications transition from the Airwave TETRA system to the LTE-based Emergency Services Network (ESN) in 2020, although LMR technology likely will continue to be used when off-network voice communications are needed, according to a UK official....More

Many things are being said about FirstNet, but not all of them are entirely accurate. Here's an attempt to clarify some potentially confusing statements that have been made about the much-anticipated nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN)....More

​A decision by the 3GPP standards body could accelerate the potential standards-based, commercial 5G deployments by several months, with scaled 5G rollouts for fixed and mobile happening within two years, according to an AT&T executive....More

Keith Radousky, president of Radvisory 5G, outlines how myriad technologies can be leveraged to provide broadband wireless connectivity via cell sites in nontraditional locations, such as on the rooftops of low-rise buildings....More

Earl Lum, president of EJL Wireless Research, outlines some of the challenges facing vendors, governments and building owners as they try to support public safety's in-building communications needs for LMR and LTE systems....More

A growing number of enterprises are replacing or augmenting land-mobile-radio (LMR) systems with Zello’s push-to-talk-over-cellular (PoC) offering combined with speaker microphones and other accessories from Pryme, according to officials from both companies....More

Bruce Lawler, Kodiak chief product officer and co-founder, describes how the company’s carrier-integrated push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) solution is being used in a rural Texas county, as well as highlighting efforts to integrate applications with the Kodiak offering. Lawler also discusses Kodiak's positioning as the industry pursues commercial availability of the mission-critical push-to-talk (MCPTT) standard approved last year....More

Fred Chavis, Motorola Solutions' senior manager of public-safety LTE global trials, showcases the LXN-500, which houses an LTE eNodeB, evolved packet core (EPC) and application server in a single unit that is designed for use in remote and rural areas outside of the coverage footprint for a network provider like FirstNet....More

Gary Monetti (left) and Mohan Tammisetti of Virtual Network Communications (VNC) demonstrate how the company's portable Greencell eNodeB and vCore enhanced packet core (EPC) with IP media subsystem (IMS) functionality can be combined to deliver LTE connectivity, even when the user is outside of the footprint of a fixed terrestrial network....More

Pepro CEO Vic Garmong demonstrates the HCLP 300, his company's new high-capacity, low-profile deployable LTE tower that is designed for network providers--such as FirstNet or a commercial carrier--to provide coverage quickly in locations that are outside of the normal footprint or to offset a network outage....More

FirstNet’s new laboratory will conduct testing to ensure that core public-safety devices, network features, capabilities and services will meet the reliability and performance requirements of first responders, although details will not be revealed until the nationwide contractor award is made, according to FirstNet officials....More

A South Carolina federal court this week cleared the path for Rivada Networks to depose Richard Keith, a South Carolina consultant whose testimony is expected to support Rivada’s allegations that the winning Altan consortium bid for the Mexico government’s Red Compartida network was prepared in violation of Mexican law....More

Rivada Networks files suit in a Mexican federal court in an attempt to have its Red Compartida bid—a proposal to build and operate a nationwide 700 MHz wholesale LTE network in Mexico—evaluated after Mexico’s government disqualified Rivada for failing to provide a bid bond for the project by the bid deadline, according to a company spokesman....More

Advancements in push-to-talk-over-cellular (PoC) services have evolved to a point where they represent a threat to private land-mobile-radio (LMR) networks, potentially resulting in the construction of new LMR networks dwindling noticeably during the next five years, two speakers said during a recent webinar about PoC offerings....More

For public safety, the location of an incident and where its personnel resources are during a response are critical pieces of information. With this in mind, it is crucial that such data—including vertical-location information, with floor-level granularity—is made available to first-response agencies....More

Mission-critical voice is a fundamental tool for public safety, but data often has been considered somewhat less vital to first-responder operations. But the use of remote-controlled "bomb robot" in Dallas to deliver lethal force to the suspected gunman should cause many to reconsider any perceptions about the need for mission-critical data connectivity during times of crisis....More

Radio manufacturer JVCKENWOOD USA unveiled its first DMR Tier II repeaters in the U.S. earlier this year, and the interest in the products from the enterprise market has met expectations, according to a company official....More

With the proliferation of wireless networks, small cells and smart devices, some have wondered what is happening to the RF noise floor. Thankfully, the FCC has launched a technical inquiry to begin an examination of the issue....More

While others seeking to build a nationwide public-safety broadband network for FirstNet remain silent, the one publicly confirmed bidder announces that its legal name will be Rivada Mercury and identified several key partners on its offeror team. Rivada Networks CEO Declan Ganley says that the Rivada Mercury proposal would provide public safety with unprecedented coverage, favorable pricing and would would be attractive enough to states that they would have no incentive to pursue the opt-out alternative....More

FirstNet provided only a cryptic statement as Tuesday's bid deadline passed, but it was enough to provide public safety and key decision makers with some key information as they pursue future plans....More

Anritsu announces the availability of the MA8100A Series TRX NEON Signal Mapper, an in-building RF-coverage mapping solution developed in partnership with TRX Systems that is designed to significantly reduce the time and effort needed to map RF coverage in areas where GPS signals are unavailable or unreliable....More

A lot is happening in the technology arena, with innovations happening constantly in the IP and wireless sectors. But policy development lags well behind technology advances, and that could be dangerous as the new applications are used in more critical settings....More